An emotional Taylor then embraced Barry McGuigan after her victory in the lightweight class.

Dujardin's win came after the 27-year-old's earlier victory in the team dressage earlier this week with Carl Hester and Laura Bechtolsheimer, who also won individual bronze.

Dujardin's triumph on her horse Valegro means she joins Dame Kelly Holmes, Rebecca Adlington and Laura Trott as elite women who have won two golds in one Games.

Enfield-born Dujardin hugged her mother Jane, who said: "The pressure was really on. I am just so proud. It is just unbelievable."

The three golds got Britain back to winning ways after Wednesday's medal drought and consolidated its third spot in the medals table. Team GB now have 52 medals in all - 25 golds, 13 silver and 14 bronze.

Liverpool's Martin Stamper came narrowly close to being the first British man to win a medal in taekwondo after he was beaten by Afghani Rohullah Nikpah in the bronze medal fight.

Britain's Keri-Anne Payne was aiming for gold in the 10km outdoor swim at Hyde Park but could only manage fourth.

Payne, the reigning world champion and a silver medallist in Beijing, finished just 0.4 seconds behind third-placed Martina Grimaldi from Italy.

The gruelling race was won by Hungary's Eva Risztov who held off a late challenge from American Haley Anderson.

Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell are assured of at least a silver medal in the men's 470 class sailing at Weymouth. Their race was delayed due to light winds and will now be held at midday.

An hour later Hannah Mills and Sasia Clark will compete for gold in the women's event.

Britain's Andrew Osagie finished 8th in the final of the men's 800m, which was won in a world record time by Kenyan David Lekuta Rudisha.

Double-amputee Oscar Pistorius is still in with a chance of an Olympic medal after the South African 4x400m relay team were given a place in the final on appeal.

Pistorius was due to run the third leg in the first heat, but did not even get his hands on the baton after teammate Ofentse Mogawane collided with Kenya's Vincent Mumu Kiilu and suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder.

The Kenyan team were disqualified and South Africa lodged a successful appeal. They will appear in the final on Friday.

Britain's quartet of Nigel Levine, Conrad Williams, Jack Green and Martyn Rooney made it through to the final after finishing second in the same heat.

Meanwhile, Games organisers Locog say 6.9 million spectators had attended events as of yesterday, with 2.1 million watching sport in the Olympic Park.